Darkness Incarnate
by VMorticia
Summary: Evil is a phoenix ... when one Dark Lord falls, another rises to take their place. Harry Potter vs Voldemort ... the final confrontation. Could be a stand alone fic, but goes with 'Voldemort's Death'


Darkness Incarnate  
  
The Prequel to Voldemort's Death, from Harry's POV (sorta - maybe it's a parallel - and a sequel - I'm not sure what you'd call it, but it goes with Voldemort's Death, and is related to the real books, not ATHSS).  
  
Disclaimer: There is something in here, that I think is a quote from Red Dwarf ... it's been so long since I saw that episode that it might not be quite word-for-word, but still. I hope my idea of how the Harry Potter saga ends is original, but even if it is, J.K.R. owns all the characters, and the whole Harry Potter concept.  
ALL HAIL THE REAL HARRY POTTER BOOKS!  
  
* * *  
  
Many, on both sides, have died - this is war, what could you expect - if people didn't die, it'd just be a nasty argument, with lots of pushing and shoving. The people I know, on our side, who have died are: Barty Crouch, Bertha Jorkins, Cedric Diggory, Fred & George Weasley, Albus Dumbledore, Mundungus Fletcher, Ludo Bagman ... and those are just the names I remember - there are too many to count.  
  
As if Dudley hadn't broken my glasses, enough ... the Death Eaters seem to think it's a good idea to go for my glasses first, too - so much so, that I have had to have my eyes magically corrected, and I don't wear glasses anymore - now Rita Skeeter had a field day with that one: "Harry Potter is getting vain ... caring about his looks in this time of war ..." she really annoys me.  
  
Wormtail was captured, and his evidence freed Sirius - the rat was given the worst punishment imaginable, for his crimes - he tried to commit suicide first, but they didn't let him - I almost feel sorry for him ... almost. Lucius Malfoy is rotting in Azkaban, now - miraculously, the Dementors haven't defected ... yet. Draco defected to the side of Light Magic, as soon as his father wasn't around to tell him what to do - he even apologised to Hermione and I, for all the things he said to us - he refused to apologise to Ron, though - I'm not exactly sure why - Draco said something including the word 'bloodfued'.  
  
Since that fateful night, three years ago, when the Dark Lord returned, I have sought to strengthen myself - I knew, from what he said, that I could defeat him - it's the only thing that makes sense - he was afraid of me, and he wanted me dead - it only obviates the fact that I am destined to defeat him.  
  
I didn't realise exactly what I was doing - most of the things I did, the spells I used, to gain the power I needed to fight him, they were the same things he had used to gain immortality - I didn't use all the Dark Magics that he used, but not all the things he did were pure evil, or even illegal.  
  
I am almost as bad as him, now - I wish I wasn't, but that's just the truth - there is only one thing that he has done that I haven't - murder. I have never killed anyone. I have helped the Aurors fight the Death Eaters many times, and I have even fought using Cruciatus, and Imperius, but never have I killed - no, I couldn't - I'm not sure if I could even kill him.  
  
* * *  
  
I stand, waiting, on the hillside where he said to be. This is the night. Tonight will end the war, one way or the other. Tonight, we duel to the death. Draco volunteered as my second - he said, "If you win, I won't need to fight him, but if you lose, I don't want to live in a world ruled by that monster." I can see his point, and I can't think of anyone, still alive, who is better able to fight by my side, than Draco.  
  
The air grows cold, but I don't feel it - somehow cold doesn't affect me anymore. Draco shivers. Then they appear - four figures on the other side of the field. I quickly recognise them all - two are Dementors... one is Voldemort... and the other is Lucius Malfoy.  
  
"Hello, Harry Potter. I hope you don't mind... I brought some friends to watch you die - they do so enjoy death." Voldemort says, "And this," he waves his hand to Lucius, "is my second - not that I need one, you understand."  
  
"Would you be so sure of that?" I ask, coldly.  
  
Voldemort and I step forward, and bow, as is customary in a duel. We now draw our wands, and prepare to fight.  
  
"Crucio!" the pain hits me full on, but it barely fazes me - I grab Voldemort's wrist, which forces him to share my pain, and he lets the curse go.  
  
He backs away from me, as I say, "Serpensoria!" the giant snake - much bigger than his pet Basilisk - lunges at him.  
  
*Stop!* he calles to the snake, but it is obeying me.  
  
I order it to, *Attack him!* He eventually makes it disappear, with - I am pleased to note - some difficulty.  
  
He is obviously bored with playing games, now, as he calls out his next curse, "Avada Kedavra!"  
  
I close my eyes, and let his curse hit me - I know it won't kill me - I know how to block it. The green light subsides, and I open my eyes. He is wearing the same expression I wore the night I was caught under the bewitched mistletoe with Pansy Parkinson - total horror, and then some. It is now that I feel it - a change - I don't know exactly how it happened, but I do know what caused it, and what it was - I am now, officially a Dark Wizard - no Light Magic can withstand the killing curse. I had never used the Dark Magics that I had learned, before, but now I have.  
  
"Why aren't you dead, Potter?" Voldemort asks.  
  
"I could ask you the same question." I say, "And I think you'd give the same answer."  
  
"You have turned to the Dark Arts? Why do you still fight me?" he asks.  
  
"As if you have to ask? You killed my parents - you have ruined my life - you made me what I am today, and I'd sooner kiss your friend over there than let you get away with it!"  
  
Draco speaks up, now, "Harry? I never knew you liked my father than much!" it was a joke, but it was still sick.  
  
I turn to look at Draco, and say, "You are sick - you know that, don't you?"  
  
He freaks out - he's staring at me, in horror, "Harry - your eyes!" he says.  
  
"What about my eyes?" Draco takes out a mirror from the pocket of his robes, and holds it out to me - I look at it, and gasp - my eyes are bright red - they're the same evil colour as Voldemort's eyes. I hand the mirror back to Draco, and say, lightly, "You carry a mirror to a death-duel?"  
  
"My looks are important to me." he says, shrugging, "What's with your eyes?"  
  
"I hope it's temporary." I mutter, then before Voldemort has time to take advantage of my distraction, "Incendio!"  
  
The inferno didn't even faze him - it should have burned him to a crisp.  
  
Voldemort points his wand at my heart, and says, "Petrificus Localus!" My heart stops - litterally - it feels like I'm suffocating... I can breathe, but I'm still drowning.  
  
I hear Draco say the words, "Finite Incantatem!" and I recover quickly, but that had been close.  
  
"Finite Eterna Viva!" I say, pointing my wand at Voldemort - it was the spell I know would end my own invunerability, and I think it may well do the same to him - of course only one who was under the invunerability spells that I am under can cast this charm (that is supposed to mean that the spells can only be broken when the subject wishes them to be, but I found a loop-hole).  
  
He falls to his knees, and I look at him - his face is changing - he's becoming human-looking again. His eyes return to the colour I had seen in his diary... his face returns to a natural shape ... almost what Ginny would call attractive ... he looks no older than twenty-five, but I know he is seventy-something. Lucius turns and runs - Draco follows, I'm not sure what he means to do - capture his father or re-join him. Voldemort raises his wand again, but I call out, "Expelliarmus!" and he is defenceless - I have never killed before, but should I now? He does deserve to die for what he has done. He is truly evil - I don't just mean that I want revenge for my parents' deaths, but so many others lost their lives to this monster - I don't even think he could be called human anymore. Though he looks human, again, now ... I must kill him - it is my destiny - it is what I have to do. I raise my wand to cast the one curse I had hoped never to use, but ...  
  
Wait - what's that? ... he looks almost sad - the expression on his face - I never thought I'd see that on him ... regret, remorse ... almost apology.  
  
"What are you waiting for, Potter? Kill me." he says, coldly, holding his arms out, as if welcoming death - as if welcoming his fate - everyone dies - this is his time.  
  
My moment of hesitation gone, I call out the words no wizard should ever want to say, "AVADA KEDAVRA!"  
  
The green light envelops Voldemort, and I hear him say, with his dying breath, "I'm sorry."  
  
He said he was sorry. He apologised ... for what? Which of his many atrocities was he apologising for? Killing my parents? Murdering all the people in this war? Or the last war? For forcing me to become the one thing I hate? For trying to destroy the world? For succeeding? For ruining everyone's lives, including his own? He had so much to be sorry for, were those two words enough?  
  
* * *  
  
Draco returns, alone. "He got away ..." then he sees Voldemort's body, "You killed him?"  
  
"Yeah - I considered doing something worse, but I thought it might make the Dementor sick." I say, still watching the dead body - the man I killed.  
  
"That is not something to joke about." Draco says.  
  
"I know." I say, looking up, for the first time.  
  
He steps back, away from me, "I thought you said that was temporary?"  
  
"I guess not." I assume he was referring to my eyes - I can feel the Darkness, still - I would know when (or if) I returned to normal. Is there such a thing as normal? I close my eyes. I wish I hadn't done that ... wish I hadn't killed him ... there must have been some other way.  
  
"They're waiting. Everyone expects to know who won." Draco said, watching me, cautiously.  
  
I look around. The Dementors have gone. I turn and walk towards the forest, raising the hood on my cloak, as I walk ... the Forbidden Forest - the school is on the other side of it, and it's not too far to walk. Draco follows me, silently.  
  
* * *  
  
We arrive at the door to the school. I open the main doors, and walk inside.  
  
I've barely taken one step when a noise sounds - an alarm designed to detect powerful Dark Magic. Snape and McGonagall appear, immediately, pointing their wands at me. I look up at them, and lower the hood on my cloak, so they can see my face.  
  
"Potter?" McGonagall asks, in a hushed, and almost frightened, tone.  
  
"Who were you expecting?" I ask, trying to sound innocent, and knowing full well what their answer to that question would be.  
  
* * * 


End file.
